The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-12-27
OUR MEXICAN LETTER.
Edward VIC and tho Little Woman Leave
The Cave aud Continue Their Journey.

ESPECIAL tprTtrppui-uf's
IETuE MOUNTAINS OF MEXICO, Dec. B.
Leaving the cave with real regret thot
se could not devote more time TO its eN-
liberation. nor room IN u carriage 10
transport the relics, OF which there are 50
many that would be valuable TO science,
we took up our road again and had a
.long, hard pull up a rugged mountain
road for the horses, while we brought up
the rear on foot on our way toward Du-
range. We had gone scarcely a league
when we came upon a man and chlld SIT
ting under the shade Of a thatch sup
ported by four poles, weaving straw hats
out Of a species Of grass which grew SO
thickly shout them that all they had 10
do was 10 change their positions from
time to time to always have n supply of
material. They had fully 200 Of these
hats laid around in the sun drying.
Three or four goats brOwsed about, a
whole family Of dogs lay around, ahd a
vicious little gray bnrro, laid his long
ears back and waited for an opportunity
10 kick some one. There was a little fire
over which the inevitable pot Of beans
was cooking.
1 IiFiI saw HiF UAE iVNn ~ AAAfAAF a.
tOnished in my lie rs was that man. when
he saw ms appear before him. He looked
at the little woman as if be thought her
some sort Of saint, for she has one Of that
kind Of compilations that never tans or
sunburns, and ! think, though ] may be
partial, that she grows p%rettier every day
as her health grows more robust under the
influence Of this active, open air existence.
However, he rose and babe rs welcome
with simple grace, and We sat down on
the ground by him while the little woman,
delighted him beyond measure by talking
TO him i'm his own language. When We
told him the object Of our voyage through
the u|ntrayeled parts Of Mexico, he sat
ia thought a moment while ! skctched
him, and then he told us that away
there, a little to the left, was a very old
ruined village, perhaps q city, and If We
would like to see it he would gladly take
us there. II would take Us the rest Of the
day, but would muse u.s. When the
driver heard O. % we were 10 remain all
night for this l.fpose re crossed himself
and said. surely the evil one must have
got into these Americans. They don't
know their own minds ten minutes."
We had dinner an hour earlier than
usual, and with the addition Of some
cactus pears, which are very good when
ripe, if yOu are very careful about the
thorns. Then we started, leaving the
horses tethered mp 10 their knees i'm rich
grass. The cook remained behind. and
the driver went with MS, much against bis
viii. for the MeXicans appear % have q
great horror Of meddiing with ruins. We
trudgcd along through the thick grass.
catching many rare and beautiful insects
Oh the way until after nearly three hours
hard tramp we turned an angle Of q
mountain dchle aud assembled s0mcth nc
like 500 or 600 feet, and turned again, and
there in n beautiful valley. surrounded
on four sides by hills and mountains, Day
the remains Of what must 40 one time
have been quite an important city as
cities went IN those days.
What astonishod me was that some of
the houses had clearly been three stories
high, ana all were built Of enormous
blocks Of hewn stone, though scarcely
ANYTHING but the walls were standing. no
roofs or floors remained, which proved 90
me that wood also had been used in the
construction, and that probably the roofs
had been covered with thatch. We
counted the walls Of twenty distinct
houses some Of them must have been
large enough 10 have contained several
families, besides which there were smaller
confused heaps Of stone in every direction.
looked in vain for any trace of a
church or cross which could give us an
idea Of the era OF this city, but there was
nothing, but finally the little woman said.
Edward, there is something over
there, 30 and we climbed a hill 10 the east,
at first not noticing that there We're or
ever had been stone steps, but afterward
we found that there was a regular flight
Of stone steps leading 20 the brow Of the
hill, which was lattened of and had been
paved with large slabs Of stone, in ON
covered with soil and grass, and in
tilted up so as TO prove the exist
ence Of the paving. In the center was a
round stone, set some two feet above the
level of the rest. and on one side we found
some faint evidences of rude carving, but
the top was smooth as if from the weight
If time. There were no relics or any
thing else that would indicate what this
was for, but To my mind IL was un-
doubleday in it- ne q place Of worship,
and probably Of sAclihce. Digging might
reveal some indications, but We had
means nor time. All We could do
was TO make sketches.
On "A high mountain TO the westward
were terraces built, which the Mexican
said were followed out like reservoirs, and
he thinks that there was water there once,
as near the rift in the mountains nc feels
sure there was once n wafer course,
though this is now dry. The little woman
suggested that perhaps from some cause
water failed, and then the people had
10 move, 'for you know, % she continued,
nobody can live without water, and they
didn't know how TO dig wells ard !
quite agreed with her, as / climbed up TO
the place, where l found row upon row Of
great reservoirs, now nearly filled with
debris and the dust Of centuries.
They reached tier upon tier up TO jus,
below the evidence Of a narrow rayine be-
tween the SUBMITS Of two mountains that
proved their utility. There vas in each
a sort Of spout like place whereby the
surplus water cOuld flow into another
lateral or lower reservoir, and from their
number they must have supplied a large
population. 1.-THE mind is lost in con
lecture as 10 the age Of this massive
work, " said |, and who can tell where